1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to techniques for detecting counterfeit components in electronic systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus that detects counterfeit electronic components by monitoring and analyzing EMI emissions generated from an electronic system which contains the components.
2. Related Art
Counterfeiting of electronic components has become an increasing problem for electronics and computer system manufacturers worldwide. One expert on counterfeiting accurately summarizes the problem as follows: “counterfeit electronics have been reported in a wide range of products, including computers, telecommunications equipment, automobiles, avionics and military systems. Counterfeit electronic products include everything from very inexpensive capacitors and resistors to costly microprocessors. Unfortunately, this problem is growing rapidly and no signs of abatement are in sight.” It has been estimated that counterfeiting of electronic components is costing the electronics industry $200 billion per year across the industry. One study estimated that as high as one in 10 information technology products is counterfeit.
In practice, counterfeiters typically use packaging, labeling, and part numbers that very closely match the authentic parts or systems to deceive purchasers. In fact, counterfeit parts often appear so real that service engineers cannot distinguish them from authentic parts by simply visually inspecting the parts. However, the counterfeit parts often contain scrap components from discarded systems, cheaply manufactured components, or older components from recycled vintage systems, which are repackaged to resemble authentic systems. Such systems are then integrated into the supply chain via brokerage channels. When the counterfeit parts or systems are shipped to customers, they often fail on arrival or within a very short time period. Counterfeit parts that have poor performance (e.g., systems with older versions of chips put into newer server boxes) can cause additional customer dissatisfaction. Furthermore, for military, medical, and aviation electronics, counterfeit parts and systems can lead to life-threatening problems.
The most commonly used technique for mitigating counterfeiting in the electronics and computing industry is to use technologies that make the labeling of parts very difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce (e.g., by using holographic labeling). However, the process of authenticating such state-of-the-art labels often requires a system or component to be disassembled. It also requires a person with a trained eye to examine internal parts to make subjective judgments on how well the colors and patterns in the labels match the authentic labels. Unfortunately, such intrusive counterfeit detection techniques are extremely labor-intensive, and are hence impractical for customs inspections. Furthermore, the detection techniques are prone to human errors because complex systems need to be disassembled and reassembled.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that facilitates non-intrusive detection of counterfeit components in electronic systems without the above-described issues.